Author: Anthony Stalter (Page 686 of 1503)

After Braylon Edwards allegedly punched one of his friends early Monday morning outside of a Cleveland nightclub, Cavs’ superstar LeBron James called the actions of the Browns receiver “childish.”

From ESPN.com:

James said Edwards punched Edward Givens, a friend of James’ and a promoter with a Cleveland marketing firm who was working outside the club around 2:30 a.m. ET.

“I’ve never crossed paths with Braylon before, but it seems like there’s a little jealousy going on with Braylon and me and my friends. I have no idea why,” James said. “I’ve never said anything to Braylon at all. But for him to do that is very childish. My friend is 130 pounds. Seriously. It’s like hitting one of my kids. It doesn’t make sense.”

James says he was home when the fight occurred, but got a call from Givens telling him about it at 7 a.m. Monday.

As I wrote earlier today when the news broke, this is incredibly bad timing for Edwards, who is seeking a new long-term contract. Why he would feel the need to strike anyone in the face is beyond me, but to do it when you’re trying to convince a team to pay you millions of dollars is just idiotic.

I wonder what fueled Edwards’ hatred of James. I know Braylon takes exception to LeBron not rooting for Cleveland teams, but I hardly think that’s the only reason why Edwards has decided to openly rip James in the past, not to mention punch his buddy in the face.

Considering Braylon is a Michigan guy, one would think that this isn’t a territorial issue. My guess is that Edwards is just flat out jealous that LeBron holds the key to Cleveland while Braylon has been one of the city’s whipping boys for several years now.

Gerardo Orlando of Cleveland Scores wonders if it’s time for the Browns to give up on Braylon following this incident and rookie Mohamed Massaquoi’s coming out party Sunday vs. Cincinnati.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer is reporting that Browns receiver Braylon Edwards has been accused of assaulting a man outside a Cleveland nightclub early Monday morning

Edward Givens said the incident took place outside of the View Night Club on 618 Prospect at about 2:30 a.m. Givens said he went to Lutheran Hospital this morning because he suffered a black eye and a cut. He said he also has a headache.

The suspect’s name on the police report is redacted. But multiple sources and the victim say the suspect is Edwards.

In an interview with Cleveland.com’s Starting Blocks blog this morning, Givens said:

“After the club closed, I was outside greeting and saying goodbye to people. Braylon comes up and started saying things, degrading me. He said if it wasn’t for LeBron or the Four Horsemen, I wouldn’t have what I have, nor would I be able to get girls. Everyone knows Braylon has a problem with LeBron. So I had to speak up for myself. The conversation started to escalate. As some of his teammates started to pull him back, he punched me. I have a black eye and a cut. I’m not a violent guy.

“As long as I’ve known Braylon, I’ve allowed him and his friends to come into our events free of charge. Whatever jealousy he has with LeBron, he felt he needed to take it out on me.”

Police officers then broke up another disturbance involving the suspect.

I’ll hold judgment until more details come out, but I will say that this is the last thing the Browns need after losing to the Bengals in overtime on Sunday to fall to 0-4.

This would also be the last thing Edwards needs seeing as how he’s seeking a new contract. One would think that players seeking multi-million dollar pay raises would lay low during the season, but some athletes continue to prove that they’re not the sharpest tools in the shed.

If Edwards was involved, he should consider himself fortunate if the incident blows over. But if the victim decides to press charges, then Edwards could have a hard time finding a suitor that will give him a long-term deal. Having the dropsies is one thing, punching a man in the face outside a nightclub during the season is quite another.

Another interesting storyline from this incident is Braylon’s supposed hatred for Lebron. Don’t forget that Edwards once ripped Lebron for being from Akron, yet he’s not a “Cleveland guy” and likes “everybody but from his hometown” when it comes to following sports teams.

Looks like Brayon has some hang ups about Lebron owning the city of Cleveland.